 |
|
Bookreporter.com Newsletter |
December 5, 2008
|
|
|
|
|
|
Here Comes 27....Again....
|
|
The tree is up, the house is decorated, the cards have been designed --- and shockingly even ordered --- and I am moving on to holiday shopping. According to the results of our most recent poll, 78% of you are planning to give books this holiday season, and to the 7% of you overachievers who already have your shopping done, I so envy you. Both of my boys want books, which makes me smile.
Each morning, reading our Author Holiday Blog feature has become one of my favorite events of the day. Today’s piece by David Baldacci is just wonderful and chronicles a very special moment of book giving. That said, all of our week’s contributor’s have made me think how books can truly be special presents. To get yourself in a holiday mood, may I suggest you take some time to read through them? We have them listed and linked later in this newsletter. And I have “read ahead” and know there are some wonderful pieces coming up next week. So either bookmark this page or sign up for the RSS feed so you can get it with your other feeds. Need a reason why books work as holiday gifts? Then click here. Today’s suggestion: “it’s easy to wrap.” And seriously, if you have wrapped odd-shaped things, you will be grateful for a book!
Speaking of feeds, while many of you love getting the full newsletter, we know that some of you like the facts and nothing but the facts. Soooo we have created a new update dispatch that again you can sign up to receive via RSS. Now this will not be available until the Monday after the update is done, but it’s a way to get connected without getting the extra info like this opener. You can find it here. Librarians and media specialists, this may be a great link to share with your colleagues.
Our featured Holiday Basket of Cheer book is BUFFALO GAL by Laura Pedersen, who has both dry wit and smarts. A great combo. This memoir about growing up in the frigid city of Buffalo during the 1970s is sure to make you laugh. And you will be glad we are including a book to give away since you will want to keep yours!
Readers of this site know Steve Berry as we have been sharing his books with you since his first one, THE AMBER ROOM, came out in 2003. THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT, his fourth in the Cotton Malone series, is just in stores this week, and we have an interview with him and a review.
We are launching two new features this week. Our first is for T. Greenwood, whose new novel, TWO RIVERS, tells a haunting tale about the power of grief and the importance of forgiveness. We have 10 copies of TWO RIVERS to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, December 12th. Our second new feature shines the spotlight on Kevin O’Brien, whose new thriller, FINAL BREATH, releases on December 30th. We have 10 copies of FINAL BREATH to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, December 12th.
You may remember the great feedback we received for THE MEMORIST by M.J. Rose, A SINGLE THREAD by Marie Bostwick and COLD PURSUIT by Carla Neggers. This week the authors share their answers to our advance readers’ questions. Click on the authors' names above to read their responses.
I loved reading Jane Porter's book, FLIRTING WITH FORTY, and I look forward to watching the movie version of FLIRTING WITH FORTY starring Heather Locklear on Lifetime, December 6th at 9PM ET (consult your local listings for times in your area). Visit MyLifetime.com to view the movie trailer. Jane is one of the spunkiest people I know. Her piece on learning to surf at 40 still makes me smile. In more book news, readers will want to know that SWEET MANDARIN by Helen Tse is being profiled in the Redbook Culinary Getaway Competition to be drawn on December 31, 2008. One reader will win a two day/two night stay for two at the Hotel Indigo in Chicago; dinner for two at Table 52 with Helen Tse; a book prize package; and a special tasting with chef Art Smith (Oprah's chef). For more information on SWEET MANDARIN, visit www.sweetmandarin.com.
I am reading THE SHACK (which we are reviewing this week) since four friends who I never would have expected to like it all gave it a rave. I simultaneously started THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED by Wally Lamb. And I have Michael Phelps’s NO LIMITS sitting on my desk too. Did anyone see the segment with him on "60 Minutes" last week when he raced Anderson Cooper? It was an amusing few moments of television; the lap did not last long! I finished reading SWIMMING TO ANTARCTICA and still am marveling at the challenges that Lynne Cox put herself through extreme swimming. Between that and watching the movie Steep (great film about extreme skiing like Riding Giants is a quintessenial surfing film), I feel like my half mile followed by water weight aerobics in the Y pool is something akin to slacking.
We're gearing up to launch our GraphicNovelReporter.com website in the next two weeks, so this weekend means there will be a lot of writing/editing on the agenda. Sunday I celebrate another birthday, which seems to have come up on me out of nowhere. Yes, another anniversary of my 27th birthday is here. As Paul Simon says, "I am hanging another year on the line" and, yes, I'm still having a good time. I have not thought of how to celebrate since this seriously crept up on me, but I am sure something will come to me.
Read a book in between the baking/shopping/decorating/partying cha cha cha this weekend. It will give you a few nice moments of escape!
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
|
|
|
|
|
Author Talk: Steve Berry, Author of THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT
|
In Steve Berry's latest thriller, THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT, protagonist Cotton Malone searches for the truth behind his father's mysterious death 38 years previous, while also stumbling upon cryptic diaries found in the tomb of the legendary ruler of the Holy Roman Empire. In this interview, Berry discusses what drew him to this progressive historical figure and describes why he chose to explore his main character's past. He also expands on the mysterious history of Antarctica --- which figures heavily in the book's plot --- explains the concept of "first civilization" and shares some of the exotic locations he's visited in researching the story.
THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT by Steve Berry (Thriller)
As a child, former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone was told his father died in a submarine disaster in the North Atlantic, but now he wants the full story and asks his ex-boss, Stephanie Nelle, to secure the military files. What he learns stuns him: His father’s sub was a secret nuclear vessel lost on a highly classified mission beneath the ice shelves of Antarctica. But Malone isn’t the only one after the truth. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read a review of THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT.
|
Click here to read an interview with Steve Berry.
|
|
|
|
|
Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest on Bookreporter.com --- Spotlight on BUFFALO GAL by Laura Pedersen
|
 |
The holiday season is upon us! At Bookreporter.com it's time for us to share the spirit of the season with our Holiday Basket of Cheer Contest. As you begin your holiday shopping, we want to remind you that books make affordable, personal and wonderful gifts for EVERYONE on your list --- and are a nice way to treat yourself as well!
From November 7th through January 5th we will spotlight a different title or collection of titles, and readers will have the chance to win one of five holiday baskets filled with winter-themed items as well as two copies of the featured book. Why two? One is to keep, of course, and one is for someone on your holiday gift list. We will also include festive wrapping paper to make the gift-giving hassle-free.
This week we’re spotlighting BUFFALO GAL, a hilarious new memoir by Laura Pedersen about growing up in the economically devastated Rust Belt during the 1970s. Our Holiday Basket of Cheer is a woven basket stocked with holiday-themed items. Along with two copies of BUFFALO GAL and green-and-tan checkered wrapping paper, winners will receive a cinnamon holly-scented Illuminations candle, Ghirardelli Hot Chocolate mix, a Wilton Gingerbread Mini Village Kit, gourmet hand-cut vanilla marshmallows, plush red socks from Crabtree & Evelyn, a box of holiday greeting cards, a cute snowman mug and delicious Chewy Peps peppermint candies.
To enter, fill out this form and answer the following question by Thursday, December 11th at 11:59PM. You can find the answer by reading the excerpt here.
According to the author, how many words do Buffalonians have for snow?
BUFFALO GAL by Laura Pedersen (Memoir)
With its Catholic majority and proximity to Canada, Buffalo was a flash point for race riots, anti-war protests, abortion rallies, bingo, bowling and Friday night fish frys. Join the Pedersens as they survive separation, stagflation, the energy crisis and President Jimmy Carter's boozy chain smoking brother marketing his own line of "Billy" beer. Reviewed by Roberta O’Hara.
-Click here to read a review of BUFFALO GAL.
-Read more about Laura Pedersen and BUFFALO GAL here.
|
|
Click here to read all the details of our Holiday Basket of Cheer feature.
|
|
|
|
New Featured One to Watch Author: T. Greenwood, Author of TWO RIVERS
|
 |
T. Greenwood is the author of BREATHING WATER, NEARER THAN THE SKY and UNDRESSING THE MOON, the latter two both Booksense 76 picks. TWO RIVERS, her new novel releasing on December 30th, is a powerful, haunting tale of enduring love, destructive secrets and opportunities that arrive in disguise.
We have 10 copies of TWO RIVERS to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, December 12th.
-Click here to read T. Greenwood’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.TGreenwood.com.
More about TWO RIVERS:
In Two Rivers, Vermont, Harper Montgomery is living a life overshadowed by grief and guilt. Since the death of his wife, Betsy, 12 years earlier, Harper has narrowed his world to working at the local railroad and raising his daughter, Shelly, the best way he knows how. Still wracked with sorrow over the loss of his life-long love and plagued by his role in a brutal, long-ago crime, he wants only to make amends for his past mistakes.
|
Click here to read more about T. Greenwood and TWO RIVERS.
|
|
|
|
|
New Featured Suspense/Thriller Author: Kevin O’Brien, Author of FINAL BREATH |
 |
Kevin O’Brien is the New York Times bestselling author of 10 books --- including ONE LAST SCREAM and KILLING SPREE --- and received a Spotted Owl Award for his 2005 novel, THE LAST VICTIM. In FINAL BREATH, his new thriller releasing on December 30th, television reporter Sydney Jordan discovers that there is a terrifying connection in a string of seemingly random deaths throughout the country.
We have 10 copies of FINAL BREATH to give away to readers who would like to preview the book and comment about it. If you are interested, please fill out this form by Friday, December 12th.
-Click here to read Kevin O’Brien’s bio.
-Visit the author’s official website, www.KevinOBrienBooks.com.
More about FINAL BREATH:
At first the deaths seem random: a young Portland couple brutally murdered in a game gone awry, a Chicago woman who plummeted to her death from an office building, an aspiring screenwriter asphyxiated in his New York apartment… but the macabre souvenirs television reporter Sydney Jordan receives reveal the connection is both personal and terrifying.
|
|
Click here to read more about Kevin O'Brien and FINAL BREATH.
|
|
|
Featured Suspense/Thriller Authors: Ted Dekker and Erin Healy, Authors of KISS
|
 |
Ted Dekker is known for novels that combine adrenaline-laced stories with unexpected plot twists, unforgettable characters and incredible confrontations between good and evil. In KISS, releasing on January 7th, Dekker teams up with editor and debut novelist Erin Healy to weave a suspenseful tale in which a young woman’s memory makes her the target of a group trying to hide a very dark truth.
-Click here to read an excerpt from KISS.
-Click here to read fast facts about Ted Dekker and Erin Healy.
-Click here to read Ted Dekker’s bio.
-Click here to read Erin Healy’s bio.
-Click here to see Ted Dekker's backlist.
-Click here to read critical praise for KISS.
-Visit Ted Dekker’s official website, www.TedDekker.com.
-Visit Erin Healy’s official website, www.ErinHealy.com.
-Click here to see our finished copy winners.
More about KISS:
After a car accident puts Shauna McAllister in a coma and wipes out six months of her memory, she returns to her childhood home to recover, but her arrival is fraught with confusion. Leaning on Wayne Spade, a forgotten but hopeful lover who stays by her side, Shauna tries to sort out what happened that night by jarring her memory to life. Instead, she acquires a mysterious mental ability that will either lead her to the truth or get her killed by the people trying to hide it.
|
|
Click here to read more about Ted Dekker, Erin Healy and KISS.
|
|
Our Review of the Runaway Bestseller THE SHACK by William P. Young
|
THE SHACK by William P. Young (Fiction)
Mackenzie Allen Philips's youngest daughter, Missy, has been abducted during a family vacation, and evidence that she may have been brutally murdered is found in an abandoned shack deep in the Oregon wilderness. Four years later in the midst of his Great Sadness, Mack receives a suspicious note, apparently from God, inviting him back to that shack for a weekend. What he finds there will change Mack's world forever. Reviewed by Marcia Ford.
-Click here to read an excerpt from THE SHACK.
|
|
Click here to read a review of THE SHACK.
|
|
|
Now in Stores: DARK PURSUIT by Brandilyn Collins
|
DARK PURSUIT by Brandilyn Collins (Suspense)
"DARK PURSUIT’s plot moves from fast to fierce. The last few chapters will leave you white-knuckled and breathing hard. It did me, and I live for this genre. Cool relief washed over me when the resolution phase commenced. The explosive series of scenes at the end have to be some of the best written, most intense I’ve read.
Need to stay up all night?
Have I got the solution for you. DARK PURSUIT. Go chase one down."
-Titletrakk
DARK PURSUIT by Brandilyn Collins
Reviewed by Darcie Gudger
|
Click here to read more about DARK PURSUIT.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
tr>
|
Books into Movies/Books into Movies on DVD for December
|
 |
With presents to buy, seasonal festivities to plan and late-year loose ends to tie up, the month of December is always a hectic one. What better way to escape the chaos than a night out at the movies? From the laugh-out-loud Jim Carrey comedy Yes Man and the big-budget comic book-inspired action flick The Spirit, to the much-anticipated Winslet/DiCaprio reunion in Revolutionary Road, this month's Books into Movies feature boasts a wide range of films that offer an ideal two-hour sanctuary from the holiday madness to sit back and lose yourself in a good story.
Offering the perfect diversion is the romantic fantasy drama The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Featuring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett and Tilda Swinton, this star-studded adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's famous short story chronicles the life of a peculiar man who physically ages backwards and the complications that arise in life and love.
Fitting the bill as the family film of the holiday season is The Tale of Despereaux --- based on Kate DiCamillo's quirky fairy tale about the most unlikely knight in shining armor --- followed by the charming pet memoir Marley & Me in close second.
And, for a darker, thought-provoking and poignant character study, there's the Oscar-buzzworthy Wendy and Lucy, a socio-political indie film about a young woman and her pet dog who encounter serious roadblocks on their way from Indiana to Alaska, in search of employment.
Also, releasing on DVD in December are Prince Caspian --- the second installment in the Chronicles of Narnia series --- the Dr. Seuss favorite Horton Hears a Who! and the period drama The Duchess.
|
Click here for more details about December's films.
|
|
|
|
This Week's Reviews
|
 |
SCARPETTA by Patricia Cornwell (Mystery)
Has it really been 20 years since chief medical examiner Kay Scarpetta first started extracting killer clues from dead bodies? Yes, and she’s back --- though far from her usual Southern sleuthing grounds --- in Patricia Cornwell’s new novel. Reviewed by Kathy Weissman.
-Click here to read an excerpt from SCARPETTA.
BORN TO RUN by James Grippando (Thriller)
Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck gets caught in a dangerous web of intrigue and murder at the top levels of the United States government, as he finds himself at the heart of a complicated cover-up that spans nearly 50 years and the globe, in his most high-profile and disturbing case yet. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
-Click here to read an excerpt from BORN TO RUN.
A LION AMONG MEN: Volume Three in the Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire (Fiction)
In A LION AMONG MEN, the much-anticipated third volume of the Wicked Years, Gregory Maguire re-examines the life of another acclaimed Oz denizen --- the so-called Cowardly Lion, the once tiny cub defended by Elphaba in WICKED. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE ARCHBISHOP IN ANDALUSIA: A Blackie Ryan Novel by Andrew M. Greely (Mystery)
Ostensibly, Archbishop John Blackwood Ryan is in the historic city of Seville to attend a conference on American philosophy, but a far more critical assignment also requires his attention. The local cardinal has summoned the wily archbishop to Spain in hopes that he can avert a murder before it happens. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
PROMISED LAND: Thirteen Books That Changed America by Jay Parini (Literary Criticism)
In PROMISED LAND, Jay Parini examines the life and times of 13 "books that changed America." Their influence remains pervasive, however hidden, and in his essays Parini demonstrates how these books entered American life and altered how we think and act in the world. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan.
THE PARIS ENIGMA by Pablo De Santis (Historical Mystery)
Paris. The World’s Fair. Murder. A famous society called The Twelve Detectives. A young man from Buenos Aires becomes enmeshed in it all and comes out a changed person. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
THIS ONE IS MINE by Maria Semple (Fiction)
Violet Parry leads what appears to be a charmed life with David, her rich and successful husband, and Dot, their adorable daughter. Yet Violet feels isolated and empty. Sally, David’s ballet-dancing sister, is pushing 40 and determined to marry. Both women want more out of life, but their quests for self-fulfillment could lead to their undoing. Reviewed by Donna Volkenannt.
THE UNSEEN by T.L. Hines (Thriller)
Lucas is a master at remaining silent and unseen in his carefully constructed world as an invisible observer. But when a chance encounter turns the tables, the watcher becomes the watched. Caught up in an escalating series of events, Lucas discovers an underground organization with a chilling mission. Reviewed by Susan Miura.
MY WORD IS MY BOND: A Memoir by Roger Moore (Memoir)
Sir Roger Moore, perhaps best known worldwide for his portrayal of James Bond in seven films, pens the story of his life from childhood through present day. MY WORD IS MY BOND is a candid memoir of his 60-year career as well as his humanitarian work. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
|
Read this week's reviews here.
|
|
|
|
|
Poll and Question of the Week: Favorite Bookstores
|
|
Poll:
Do you have a favorite bookstore?
Yes
No
Not sure
-Click here to answer our poll.
Question:
What is your favorite bookstore, and why do you like it?
-Click here to answer our question.
|
|
|
Word of Mouth: Tell Us What You're Reading --- TWO Prizes
|
Tell us what books YOU are reading and loving --- or even those you don't.
This week we have two great prizes: FIVE readers each will win a copy of THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT by Steve Berry and BORN TO RUN by James Grippando. Tell us what you are reading and rate the titles 1-5 by noon on December 19th to ensure that you are in the running to win these books.
/font> |
Need more details about Word of Mouth? Click here.
|
|
As always, here are a few housekeeping notes. If you are seeing this newsletter in a text version, and would prefer to see the graphics, you can either read it online or change your preferences below.
Those of you who wish to send mail to Bookreporter.com, please see the form on the Write to Us page. If you would like to reach me, please write Carol@bookreporter.com. Writing any of the respond buttons below will not get to us.
Those who are subscribed to the Bookreporter.com newsletter by December 31, 2008 automatically are entered in our Monthly Newsletter Contest. This month one winner will be selected to win the following five books: BORN TO RUN by James Grippando, THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT by Steve Berry, THE INDEPENDENCE OF MISS MARY BENNET by Colleen McCollough, THE MESSENGER by Jan Burke and SCARPETTA by Patricia Cornwell. Sally from Effingham, IL was last month's newsletter winner. She won DASHING THROUGH THE SNOW by Mary Higgins Clark and Carol Higgins Clark, THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED by Wally Lamb, JUST AFTER SUNSET: Stories by Stephen King, SALVATION IN DEATH by J.D. Robb and YOUR HEART BELONGS TO ME by Dean Koontz.
Happy reading! Don't forget to forward this newsletter to a friend or to visit our other websites from TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com, AuthorsOnTheWeb.com, FaithfulReader.com, AuthorYellowPages.com, Teenreads.com, and Kidsreads.com.
The Book Report Network
250 W. 57th Street - Suite 1228
New York, New York 10107
|
|
|
